Daycare Trust is the UK's national childcarecharity, campaigning for quality, accessible, affordable childcare for all, and raising the voices of children, parents and carers. Daycare Trust advises parents and carers, providers, employers, trade unions and policymakers on childcare issues. The Family and Childcare Trust was formed from the merger of the Daycare Trust and Family and Parenting Institute in 2013. The Daycare Trust was established in 1986 and is headquartered in London. It is a registered charity and company.
History
The concept for Daycare Trust emerged in the 1970s in the context of the growing feminist movement. Many women desired both a family and a work life, but the childcare infrastructure was not in place. Additionally, the Children Act 1948 stigmatized parents for "dumping" their children in nurseries, categorizing those children as "at risk" and "maternally deprived." Activists, mostly women, from various organizations campaigned to establish nurseries in various places, primarily in colleges and universities. From there they tackled the issue of quality, and campaigned for better professional training. In 1986, a group of these activists established Daycare Trust, creating a unified base of support to carry out the charitable work of the National Childcare Campaign.
1986, year of establishment
Public provision of childcare was discouraged by the lack of funding – tax relief on employer supported childcare was removed and local authority funding was cut – and private nurseries were flourishing.
By 1986/7, 47.5% of under fives were in early education.
Family Income Supplement, the main source of state financial support for families, did not target any help specifically to childcare costs, and there was no regulation/guidance for the childcare workforce.
Today
There are more than 1.5 million childcare places registered with Ofsted.
3,500 children’s centres have been established in communities across the country offering services to 2.7 million children under five and their families.
All three- and four-year-olds are entitled to free early years education for up to 15 hours per week for 38 weeks per year – an offer taken up by 92% of the three-year-old population and 98% of the four-year-old population.
Daycare Trust's mission is to "secure access to high quality affordable childcare for all children in Great Britain where and when they and their parents want and need it, at a price their parents can afford." The charity defines childcare as "arrangements parents make for their children when they are not looking after the children themselves; this could be in individual or group care in a variety of settings, including at home." Daycare Trust work includes:
Policy and research
Daycare Trust conducts independent and robust research on behalf of a number of government departments, charities and research councils. This research aims to “further the availability of sustainable, affordable and good quality childcare to all families; offering real choices to families to balance work and family life”. Daycare Trust provides informed comment on key childcare issues to the media and government, ensuring that the benefits of childcare and the issues faced by parents are well understood.
Information
Daycare Trust’s information services benefit over 450,000 people per year. These services consist of a telephone information line, which provides comprehensive information about childcare to callers; e-mail information service; and with factsheets for parents and employers and an interactive.
Training and consultancy
Daycare Trust runs training and consultancy on a range of topics, from tax credits to involving parents in service development and delivery, to a range of organizations and services.
Policy recommendations
The organisation's current policy priorities are set out in the 2010 publication Childcare Charter, published in the run up to the 2010 general election. The Childcare Charter called on the next government to:
